Only Human
by PadfootIsMyHomeDawg
Summary: Harry knew that Snape was a hero – the LAST thing he should be was his slave just because he was once a Death Eater. But the Ministry is full of idiots, and they don't want to listen to reason. But he'll keep trying until he gets it. slash SSHP HPSS Snarry Rated M cuz I'm paranoid, but it could be T, too.


**My sister played "Human" by Christina Perri while I was reading a Snarry fic, so it gave me inspiration to write this one, and I couldn't think about anything else until I did. So, hope you guys enjoy my first Snarry fic!**

**WARNINGS: um…slash. SSHP. Obviously. Nothing is explicit – mostly suggestive, and some kissing. Possible trigger warning – there is cutting as a form of attempted suicide. A bit of language…slight OOC Snape, a lot of angst.**

**Summary: Harry knew that Snape was a hero – the LAST thing he should be was his slave just because he was once a Death Eater. But the Ministry is full of idiots, and they don't want to listen to reason. But he'll keep trying until he gets it. slash SSHP HPSS Snarry**

**Rating: M (just cuz i'm paranoid)**

**Words: 5,645**

* * *

**_I can hold my breath._**

**_I can bite my tongue._**

"Well…welcome to my home." Harry said a bit uncomfortably as his former Potions professor followed him inside the flat.

Severus barely spared a glance to the area, looking away from Harry with a look of anger on his face, lips pressed into a tight white line.

"I know it's not really much," Harry went on, "But I just thought…well, it was better than…"

He fell silent, thinking of the bar he had found Severus Snape in. But, "bar" was a nice way of putting it. Yes, there were the usual drinks, but the unusual was the way the Ministry was holding an auction – an auction for the Death Eaters after the war was over. Never mind that Snape was a hero, had been a spy – he had killed Dumbledore. He had allowed the school to be run by Voldemort. Any protests Harry had made in the bar had fallen on deaf ears, and Snape had been about to be sold to someone whom Harry knew for a fact had a grudge against Snape and would be likely to hurt him. So he had jumped in and kept bidding until Snape was _his _slave.

"I'm sorry about it all," Harry said after an uncomfortable moment. "I'll talk with Shacklebolt a bit more, get this cleared up…"

Snape said nothing, still looking away, and Harry got the distinct impression that he'd bitten his tongue to keep silent.

* * *

**_I can fake a smile._**

**_I can force a laugh._**

"Professor Snape! I didn't know you were coming!" Ron Weasley appeared uncomfortable as Severus stepped through the Floo with Harry. Everyone couldn't help but notice the silver collar around Severus' neck – the mark of slavery. A ministry number was engraved on the side, showing his ownership.

"Of course he would come, Ronald," Hermione scolded her boyfriend before anyone else could say anything, slapping his arm.

She was talking about the restrictions made with the collar the Ministry had forced on all of the slaves – the collar, and therefore the slave, could never be too far away from the matching bracelet on the owner, or it would cause extreme pain to the slave, as bad as the Cruciatus. It was to prevent the slaves from running away, obviously, and Severus had only gone out of bounds once, when they'd gone out in Muggle London and he'd needed to use the restroom on the other side of the grocery store. So far Harry hadn't found any way around it, though he'd definitely been trying.

But, to save any awkwardness about the slavery, Hermione went on, "Professor Snape is practically family now, with Harry and all."

"Yeah – you live together, you go out everywhere together," George added, and Fred finished the thought: "Might as well be dating!"

Harry smiled uncomfortably – even after a week with the man, he still found it awkward whenever it was brought up. He'd been trying to convince the Ministry of Snape's innocence, but it didn't seem to be doing any good so far. They didn't want to admit that they were wrong, after all.

But Severus only smirked in his usual way and proceeded into the kitchen. "Can I help with dinner, Molly?"

The mother appeared surprised by Severus' offer, but she quickly composed herself. "Of course, Severus," she said. "Gin – " she cut herself off before she could say her only daughter's whole name. She took a deep breath as she fought back tears at the reminder of the battle just a few weeks before, and then said, "Charlie, will you show Severus where the silverware is and help him set the table?"

Severus forced a smile and followed the Weasley boy into the kitchen.

* * *

**_I can stay awake for days_**

**_If that's what you want._**

Severus sleepily rose from the chair beside Harry's bed and went to the kitchen, holding a now empty glass of water. Harry had been having nightmares for several days now, and the screams woke him up as he was in the bed on the other side of the room. He'd taken to sleeping very lightly so that at the very moment Harry whimpered in his sleep, he could wake up and wake Harry up before the nightmare got to be too bad.

He put the glass in the sink and then leaned against it, gripping the sides and bowing his head over it. _He _was exhausted too, and not just from lack of sleep. He was just so exhausted with _all _of this. It had been almost three weeks since he'd been sold like a horse to the one he'd tormented for years, and there was still no progress as far as freeing him went.

He remembered the dread he'd felt when he was first bought, sure that the boy – no, the _man_, now – would get him back for all of the misdeeds he'd done to him in school. He'd told himself that at least Voldemort was gone, and Voldemort was much more inventive as far as tortures went…

But he'd underestimated Harry Potter. Harry had forgiven him, understood everything, and not held anything against him. He knew that it was so that he could keep up his act for when Voldemort _did _come back, and even when it was more because of his hate for _James_, Harry understood that, too. Apparently Harry knew just how it felt to be picked on and bullied, and not just everyone laughing at him at Hogwarts. Harry knew what it was like to be humiliated, and he understood Severus' reaction to it, to James _and _him.

_Idiot Gryffindor, _Severus snorted as he went back to the room. But there was really no malice in it. The younger Potter reminded him more of his mother now than his father, and his stay with him might have even been called pleasant, had it not been for the collar reminding him of his place in society.

He stood next to Harry's bed, looking at the sweat-soaked face, the wrinkle between his eyebrows that spoke of too much guilt and responsibility on his shoulders at so young an age.

He reached out to push a sweat-soaked lock of hair from his eyes, but then stopped himself at the last moment.

_He's a child, Severus, _he reminded himself. _Only seventeen._

Something strange tugging at his heart, he turned back to his own bed to catch a bit of sleep before he was awoken by the next nightmare.

* * *

**_I can turn it on – _**

**_Be a good machine._**

**_I can hold the weight of worlds _**

**_If that's what you need._**

They were at another ceremony. Severus was tired of these ceremonies. It had been a month since the final battle at Hogwarts, and the Ministry was trying to continue to award the people who had fought medals and Orders of Merlin.

He gritted his teeth and ignored everyone who looked his way, pointed, an/or whispered behind their hands about him. Not only was he Severus Snape, feared Potions master and then Headmaster of Hogwarts during Voldemort's reign, but now he was owned by Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Conquered-You-Know-Who.

Harry was speaking at the podium in front of about five hundred people – a smaller ceremony than usual, to be sure. Reporters were at the front, taking down notes and pointing cameras and microphones in his face, and Severus felt a flash of sympathy – _this _was the reason Harry kept having nightmares. He wasn't allowed to let go and heal, because it all kept being brought up. And Harry, being who he was, cared more about giving encouraging words and support to _other _people.

He hardly listened as Harry listed more people to earn his respect and/or rewards. He sat in the front row – not too far away, lest the collar go off – and watched the boy's – _man's _– lips as they formed words.

* * *

**_I can dance and play the part_**

**_If that's what you ask – _**

**_Give you all I am._**

It had been two months, and Severus was almost sure that nothing was going to happen as far as freeing him from slavery went. He grew snippier as the days went on, and he could see that Harry was trying to be patient with him, but even he was getting fed up. He couldn't bring himself to feel guilty about it, though.

Harry decided that they needed to get out of the house, and that Muggle London would be the best place to go unrecognized.

They went to a burger joint, and Severus couldn't help letting a little smile creep on his face as they ate. Harry was talking about something or another, but Severus wasn't sure what. He appeared happier than normal, though – his green eyes were lighter, the lines on his forehead softer, and his lips were turned up a bit in a slight smile as he talked around his food. Severus couldn't bring himself to call him out on his manners.

Then Harry was giving him a concerned look. "Severus, are you alright?" he asked him.

Severus realized that he had been staring, and dropped his eyes to his burger.

"I'm fine," he said, and then took another bite of his burger to prevent further questioning.

_What is wrong with you, Severus? _He thought, not noticing the look on Harry's face. _He's a __**child**__!_

* * *

**_But I'm only human,_**

**_And I bleed when I fall down._**

He was at the Weasleys' again, and it was growing tiresome. He'd had enough of them during Order meetings, but now Molly was treating him like one of her own sons, trying to stuff him with food and having him do chores. It had been growing worse as time went on.

He rubbed the bridge of his nose, trying to stave off a headache as Fred and George blew up something upstairs, making the stairs vibrate. The youngest Weasley boy let out a somewhat girlish shriek and then yelled at the twins. Bill excused himself to see to his brothers, as Molly and Arthur were in the kitchen. That left only him, Harry, and Percy in the living room. Percy had been living with the family since the end of the war – Severus suspected that it was to make up for having been at odds with them for the better part of three years.

"Severus, could you help me with the cleanup?" Molly asked as she began clearing off the table.

"No," Severus said, frustration boiling over at the motherly woman. "I will not."

Molly appeared shocked at his tone for all of two seconds, and Harry said, "Severus, that was uncalled for."

Severus felt the magic of the collar vibrating in warning – if he struck out in anger at his master, whether in words or actions, the collar promised to incapacitate him. But the vibrations only caused his anger to grow.

In a deliberately calm voice, he turned to Molly and said, "I am not your slave or even your son, and I refuse to help with your chores, you _insufferable_ woman."

Harry appeared too stunned with the sudden attitude to say anything, but Molly's expression was calm and unfazed.

"Severus – a word?" she said, turning to walk into the kitchen without giving him a chance to respond.

With a sigh, Severus rose to his feet, trying to ignore the disapproving look on Harry's face without success. He already regretted his words – he was _never_ supposed to let his emotions show! Worse, he didn't want Harry to be upset with him.

So he went to kitchen, discreetly erecting silencing wards around himself and the redheaded witch.

"I apologize for my words," Severus forced out before she could say anything to him. "They were rude and uncalled for."

Molly waved her hand dismissively. "Don't give me empty words, Severus. I know you meant what you said, but I don't hold it against you. Now, down to the real question – why haven't you said anything to Harry yet?"

Severus blinked, the only reaction he gave to the confusion he was feeling. What in Merlin's beard was she talking about? "What are you talking about?" he snapped.

Molly gave him a disbelieving look and answered, "You like him. It's obvious. But why aren't you two together yet?"

Severus was having a hard time breathing. "You think – ? _Potter _– ?" he stuttered, unable to string a coherent sentence together. "I don't – _no_! He's a _child_!"

Molly rolled her eyes. "He's _seventeen_, Severus," she reminded him, as though he had forgotten. "Eighteen, in a couple of weeks."

"And _I'm _thirty-eight!" Severus informed her bitingly. "You really think that – Potter and _me_?"

Molly gave him an all-too-knowing look. "It's alright, you know, Severus," she told him calmly. "I've seen how you look at him. I only ask for your help around here because I see Harry as my son, too, and after you've gotten together, well…" she shrugged. "You'd be another son."

At least that explained the chores. But – "No! I don't like him in that way! I'm his _slave_, in case you've forgotten! I don't love him, I don't even _like _him, and if he _ever _figures out how to free me from him, I'll be gone in a moment!"

"No, you won't," Molly said. "You won't be able to."

"The collar won't stop me, because I won't _have _one," Severus told her with a scowl.

"I didn't mean _physically_," Molly said in a voice growing in exasperation. "You're only human, Severus. You love him – you won't be able to bear being too far from him."

"Even if that was true – which it isn't! – Potter would never feel the same way about me. There's no point in speaking of this."

Without waiting for a response, Severus dropped the silencing wards and sped – he did _not _"run" – down the hall and to the study. He didn't think he could be in the same room as his master right then, and he didn't want to have to ask to leave.

Shutting the door behind him, he leaned against it and tried to calm his racing heart and slow his breathing. Sinking to the floor in a rather undignified manner, he threaded his fingers through his hair and tried to convince himself that Molly was wrong.

* * *

**_I'm only human,_**

**_And I crash and I break down._**

Severus was almost asleep when Harry's voice rang through the apartment.

"Severus?"

He almost groaned – he hadn't been _trying _to sleep, exactly, but he was so tired from it all – the slavery, the lack of sleep because of Harry's nightmares, the looks Molly kept giving him…he was so sick of it. And he had _almost _been asleep while Harry did who knew what in the office when he had been startled out of it because of Harry's call.

He rubbed his eyes and said nothing as the almost-eighteen-year-old called for him again, and then he felt his presence in the doorway. He wasn't sure if it was because of the bond of his slavery that was the cause of it though or if he'd sensed him with his normal senses. It didn't really matter, he supposed. He could tell Harry was annoyed based on the subtle vibrations in his collar, but he couldn't bring himself to care at the moment.

"I was calling for you," Harry said in what Snape interpreted as an accusing voice. "Why didn't you answer?"

"I humbly ask for your forgiveness, Oh Great Master," Severus said sarcastically, rubbing his forehead. The vibrations grew a bit in intensity, but he ignored it and continued on, "How can I help you, _Milord_?"

Severus didn't see it, but Harry was taken aback by his attitude. The last time there was that much malice directed toward him was in school, and it seemed…strange. He had rather enjoyed the dark man's somewhat pleasant attitude in the past several weeks – or, as pleasant as he _could_ be, being Severus Snape.

"Did something happen?" he asked uncertainly as he looked at the tired-looking man rubbing his forehead.

This only made Severus' ire grow, and he stopped his rubbing and looked up with a glare. "'Did something happen?'" he repeated. "'Did something _happen_?' Well, other than losing my place in the Wizarding World, my humanity as a whole in society's eyes, being controlled and constrained by a silver collar like a dog, and losing what little I have gained in my lifetime, I think I'm doing alright!" He was shouting by the end, standing over Potter quite menacingly, and the vibrations were so strong that they were making noise, but Severus couldn't bring himself to care. "But who cares about that, right?! I'm just another Death Eater – we _deserve _to be punished, and _you _think so too, because otherwise you would've succeeded in making me free by now! This is _all_ – _your_ – _fault_!"

Then, before Severus could continue his rant or Harry try and cut him off, the collar finally did its job and sent bolts of pain through his body. With a gasp, Severus dropped to the ground, holding hands to his ears in an attempt to stop the deafening screeching that was all in his head because of the magic of the collar. He couldn't hold back a small whimper of pain before Harry's touch to the numbers on the collar stopped the pain. Severus lied there weakly for a moment, trembling from the aftershocks of the pain, before he came back to himself and sat up, leaning wearily against the chair.

He felt a suspicious burning behind his eyes and quickly shoved it back. He hadn't cried in _years _– he wasn't about to now, in front of Ha – _Potter_ – no less.

Then he felt a hand on his arm, and stiffened slightly but turned nevertheless to look into concerned green eyes.

"I'm sorry," Harry said sincerely. "I'm trying – I really am. I really didn't think it would take this long. I'm sorry for everything you've been put through that was or wasn't in my control."

Severus only looked at him, so Harry said, "I was going to ask you what you were doing, but it looks like you need some sleep." Severus began to protest, but Harry shook his head and cut across, "That's an order. I'm sorry for keeping you up with all of my nightmares,"—he appeared embarrassed by this, but continued on—"So you should try and get some sleep. I don't have any plans for the rest of the day, anyway – I'm in the office working out some laws to try and prove this is wrong. I'll wake you up around seven for dinner."

Without giving him the chance to protest, Harry rose from the ground and left the room, closing the door behind him.

* * *

**_Your words in my head, knives in my heart – _**

**_You build me up and then I fall apart,_**

**_'Cause I'm only human._**

After Harry had left, Severus did indeed climb into bed, but he was unable to get to sleep. Harry was on his mind – everything he'd said and done in the past several weeks went through his memory, and he couldn't help the feeling of guilt that his words brought. Harry had been trying – he really had – but the Minister was being an ass. This was also because Harry was trying to stop the _entire _issue of Death Eater slavery, so that there wasn't an issue of the Wizarding World not trusting Snape, him being the only one who was freed. There was a whole lot of legality issues that Severus didn't completely understand, but he knew that Harry _was _trying.

_And then I'll have to leave him. After all, why would he want to remain in my company any longer than he has to? Only his blasted Gryffindor chivalry has kept me here __**this **__long. I could've gone to that horrible man – what was his name again? – and been miserable right now._

But he had Harry. And he had to admit to himself – he _did _like him. Loathe as he was to admit it, Molly was right. He was smitten with the almost-man. He hadn't felt like this in years – not since…Lily. It was somewhat refreshing.

But…it could never be. He was twenty years his senior, and besides, Harry would never like _him_. He was the greasy dungeon bat, the Death Eater, the _murderer_.

This time, he couldn't stop the tears. His heart was hurting, like knives. He was in love with Harry Potter, but nothing could ever happen.

* * *

**_I can do it._**

**_I'll get through it._**

He thought he was doing rather well, keeping his feelings a secret. He reverted back to the man he was in Hogwarts – snide, dour, mean…anything he could to push the black-haired boy away without causing the collar to object.

And then one day Harry walked through the room after a shower, wearing only a towel, and droplets of water glistening on his bare chest. A trail of hair from his belly button disappeared to below the towel. Severus' mouth went dry as he gazed on at the perfection before him, and he had to tear his eyes away as he felt the flesh between his legs beginning to stir.

"Put some clothes on, Potter," he snapped, and rose to leave the room, ignoring the warning buzzing in his collar.

He missed the look of disappointment on Harry's face as he turned and left the room, leaving Harry staring at his retreating back with a look of calculation.

* * *

**_But I'm only human – _**

**_Just a little human._**

He had a date. Harry, not Severus. It was with some Muggle, and Severus had to go along to prevent the pain that came from his collar if he was too far away. Severus would be discreet, of course – it couldn't be _obvious _that he was with Harry – they would be going to a nice restaurant, and Severus would be at the next table over with his own dinner, alone. He would be going with Harry in the car, though – travelling separately was too much of a risk. Harry had given him his Invisibility Cloak for the night – that way his date wouldn't think it odd that a man was following them.

Severus was more sour than usual the day of the date. Potter had probably asked out some blond bimbo with big boobs and little brains. Though, Harry had never seemed a fan of those girls at Hogwarts – but now he had hormones on his mind more than the rise of the Dark Lord intent on killing him.

Finally the time came, and he heard a knock on the door. His scowl deepened, and Harry tossed him the Cloak from where it was hanging over the back of one of the chairs at the kitchen table. Snape threw it over himself, and then Harry opened the door.

His jaw literally dropped when he saw that instead of a pretty woman at the door as he had expected, there was a well-dressed young man perhaps a couple of years his senior, and he was rather attractive. He had dark brown hair that was combed back in an elegant sort of way – but not in a prissy-ish sort of way. His eyes were a bright blue, and a smattering of freckles across his nose made him look boyish and innocent. His clothes hugged his body in a tight, but not off-putting or overtly sexual kind of way.

Severus immediately hated him.

As the two greeted each other and then made their way out of the apartment building, Severus followed, scowl deepening with every second as he watched the other man's hips sway.

_How could I not have known he was gay? _Severus wondered to himself as the man's personal driver – _really? _– drove them to the restaurant. Perhaps because Harry wasn't obvious about it. Perhaps he was bi – he remembered the boy's brief infatuations with Cho Chang, and then with Ginny Weasley. Though, that could've been Potter trying to see whether or not he liked girls. There hadn't been anyone other than those two, after all – at least, not that _he _knew about.

He removed the Cloak outside of the restaurant, and got the table right next to the two as planned. The way he was seated, however, neither of them would've been able to see him unless they turned or moved.

For the next hour, Severus did his best to stem the flood of negative feelings he felt toward the couple in the next table. Well, to be fair, it was more toward the man with Harry than Harry himself.

_He doesn't deserve him,_ Snape thought darkly as Harry laughed freely at something the man had said. _He deserves someone better than that – that __**pompous**_…**_arrogant_**_…!_

_Oh, and you __**really **__think that's __**you**__? _Another voice spoke up in his head.

Severus faltered. No. Not him. Harry deserved someone better than…than the scarred, evil Death Eater that he was.

_I wasn't __**really **__a Death Eater, _he argued weakly against himself. _I was a spy._

_You __**started out **__as a Death Eater. You joined them of your own volition. It doesn't matter what you did __**after **__that. You were willing to negotiate Harry and James Potter's lives to save Lily's. How does that make you __**any**__ better than normal Death Eaters?_

The voice was right, Severus realized. Harry didn't deserve him. He deserved this other man, who was rich and pretty, unlike him. He was pale, sallow, hook-nosed, greasy-haired, knobby-kneed, and he had not even a Knut to his name. He was a slave – why should Harry want or need him?

He watched the two as the rich boy called for the check, insisting to Harry that he had it covered.

"But _I _asked _you _out," Harry protested, though he was smiling in amusement. The man laughed and leaned across the table to give Harry a peck on the lips.

"Yes, and _you _made my night worth it," the man smiled cheekily, causing Harry to laugh and acquiesce.

At his table, Severus fought to keep his face neutral, though inside his heart was splintering in pain.

* * *

**_I can take so much_**

**_Till I've had enough._**

Harry was working again. He had found a spell though, just a couple of days before, that permitted him to set the collar to one location, regardless of where Harry was. Basically, Harry could now go out without Severus following him.

Severus thought it convenient – now there was no chance of the eighteen-year-old coming in from the next room when he held a knife over his wrist.

His hand was shaking – he hadn't cut since he was in his early twenties, and even then it wasn't to kill himself. Now, he thought it the easiest, most painless way.

He couldn't take it anymore. He couldn't live as Harry Potter's slave for an indefinite amount of time while he was in love with him. It was making him hurt every time he looked at him, and he wanted it to stop. He could only take so much pain.

He ran the knife over the vein in his left wrist, hardly wincing at the stinging pain – it was nothing compared to the pain in his heart. He watched as blood began flowing freely from the wound. He made another cut, this time to his other wrist. He was worthless – he knew it. No one could ever love _him _– and they shouldn't. It didn't matter what good he had done – all of the bad outweighed that.

He felt dizzy, and dropped the knife as blood flowed faster from the lacerations. He leaned against the bed, dropping his head back tiredly as he waited to fall into unconsciousness.

Just as blackness began creep along the edges of his vision, he heard the front door open.

"Severus!" Harry sounded happy.

_No, _Severus thought weakly. Harry wasn't supposed to be home for hours. His bloody Gryffindor values would rear their head again and force him to save him.

_Just let me die, _he thought desperately. _Let it be too late._

Then Harry was in the doorway – Severus could tell, even though his back was to the door. "Hey, it smells weird in here, like – _Severus!_"

Then Harry was filling his vision, his green eyes surrounded by the wire-rimmed spectacles his main focus. Harry's face was shocked and panicked, but he grabbed his wand from his pocket and closed the cuts Severus had made. Severus moaned quietly at the realization that he probably wasn't dying today, even as Harry summoned several potion vials with his wand.

Harry uncorked one of the vials and held it to Severus' lips. Severus recognized the smell as a Blood Replenishing potion and turned his head weakly away.

He was startled by a slap to his cheek, and he turned to look at Harry with shocked eyes. Harry appeared simultaneously angry and worried.

"Severus, you will swallow these potions, or so help me, I will cast the Imperius on you and _make _you."

Severus was too shocked by the threat to protest, and he swallowed reflexively as the contents of the vial entered his mouth. Potion after potion he swallowed, all the while feeling his self-hatred grow. He couldn't even kill himself correctly.

Harry cleaned the blood away with a wave of his wand, and then lifted Severus into his bed.

"Go to sleep," he instructed. "When you wake up, we're going to have a serious talk."

* * *

**_I'm only human._**

**_And I bleed when you fall down._**

When Severus awoke, it was to see Harry staring at him from his own bed with a heartbreaking expression on his face.

"I'm sorry," Severus said.

"No, you're not," Harry said tiredly, dropping his feet from their crossed position to rest on the floor.

Well, Severus admitted to himself, he wasn't sorry for trying to kill himself – he was sorry for putting that expression on Harry's face, for making him sad. But he didn't say that. He didn't say anything.

"Why would you try and do something like that?" Harry asked in a helpless sort of voice. "Why would you try to…?" he stopped himself, seeming on the verge of crying.

"I don't fancy being a _slave _the rest of my life," Severus sneered, though that wasn't even the main reason. It appeared Harry knew that too, as anger grew on his face.

"That's not all of it and you _know_ it," Harry accused, rising to his feet and going over to the bed. "Did you even think about what that would do to everyone _else_?"

Severus scoffed. "I'm a _slave_, Potter," he reminded him, as though he needed reminding. "No one would care."

"What about _me_?!" Harry cried. "Do you think I've been exhausting myself, working long hours, trying to find _some _way to free you because I don't _care_?!"

Severus blinked and said nothing, too confused to try forming a sentence.

Harry sighed in exasperation and anger. "I've lost enough people already, Severus!" he shouted. "My parents, Cedric, Sirius, Dumbledore, Moody, Hedwig, Dobby, Ginny, Colin, Tonks…do you _really _think I want to lose someone else who means so much to me?!"

"I…you care about me?" Severus was too stunned to speak with his usual eloquence.

Harry appeared frustrated by this response, and he swung himself up onto the bed, straddling Severus' hips and holding Severus' face between his hands as though to keep him focused on him. (Not that Severus would or could focus on anything else.)

"Of _course _I do, you stupid, _stupid _man!" he exclaimed, and then without further ado, he bent down and pressed his lips firmly to Severus'.

Severus was too stunned to stop him – not that he wanted to. It was more a press of lips than anything else, but Severus felt the first spark of joy and hope in his gut that he'd had in _weeks_.

And then Harry was pulling away, blushing brightly.

"Uh – I – I'm sorry," Harry stuttered quickly, removing himself from his position across Severus' lap. "I shouldn't have – I mean, I don't even know whether – "

Severus understood what Harry was struggling to say and decided that now was the perfect time to pull him from his misery. He sat up and grasped Harry's arm before he could walk away, and, after pulling him closer, kissed Harry himself.

Several seconds later, after they had finally pulled away, Harry blinked at him in wonderment. "You – you mean…?"

Severus decided to just let it all free. If Harry didn't love him as he did Harry, well…he could worry about that later.

"I care very much for you, Harry," Severus said with a soft smile, pulling Harry to sit next to him on the bed.

The smile that lit Harry's face caused Severus' heart to melt at the pure joy in the expression. "I love you too, Severus," he told him. "And when I came home earlier, it was to tell you that you're free. _All_ of the former Death Eater slaves are, though they've gone to Azkaban. But the Ministry finally recognizes you as a hero – you'll probably get an Order of Merlin."

Severus stared at him, stunned and filled with love for the young man. "What…? How did…?"

Harry grinned at him. "It took a lot of work," he told him, "And the Ministry has their heads as far up their asses as I remember from Fifth Year. But you were worth it, so I kept trying."

It was unclear as to who leaned in for the kiss first, but it didn't really matter. There would be time for explanations later, and technicalities, but right then, Harry and Severus simply enjoyed snogging each other senseless.

* * *

**_I'm only human,_**

**_But you love even when I'm down. _**

**_Your words in my head, balm to my heart – _**

**_You build me up; I don't want to be apart,_**

**_'Cause I'm only human._**

* * *

**Yeah, a bit of a cheesy ending. Sue me. The last part, just above, are my own changed lyrics from the song, just FYI. Hope you guys loved – it took me several hours to write this, so I'd love it if you took just a minute to review! Thanks! :)****  
**

**8/22/14: A guest reviewed and signed out as "The Crimson Mage" - sorry that I couldn't find you in the database - unless you're "Crimson Magenta"...anyhoo, this person asked about Remus not being mentioned in the list of the dead people. Sorry - I had planned on including an explanation for that, but it just didn't end up happening. I DID plan on Remus living, mostly so he could raise Teddy and not leave Harry and therefore Snape (once they're together) with that responsibility. Not really a huge story there, but yes - in this, he IS alive, even though it's not discussed.**

**Thanks for the reviews!**


End file.
